Put The Needle On The Record - Week #28

Put The Needle On The Record Week #28 Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

For this weeks feature we go back to March 1985 and the Howard Jones album "Dream Into Action".

"Dream Into Action" was the second album released by Howard Jones, the follow up to "Human's Lib" and whilst the former had 3 outstanding singles on it ("New Song", "What Is Love?" and "Hide And Seek"), "Dream Into Action" has a much better overall collection of songs, superbly produced by Rupert Hine. It is also an album that did well in the states, along with the singles released from it.

I saw Howard Jones in 1985 at The Manchester Apollo on the tour to support the album and he was amazing, analog synths surrounded him and boy can he play them, he is outstanding live. For me this was the peak of his career and his popularity.

The acid test that show an album is of the highest quality, is the tracks that could have been singles but were n't, in the case of this album, "Specialty" and "Elegy" were worthy candidates to be released as singles.

In the end 4 singles were released off the album "Things Can Only Get Better" (which reached number 6 in the UK Singles chart and number 5 in America), "Look Mama" (which reached number 10 in the UK Singles chart), "Life In One Day" (which reached number 14 in the UK Singles chart and number 19 in America) and "No One Is To Blame" (which reached number 16 in the UK Singles chart and number 4 in America), which was re-recorded with Phil Collins on drums for its release as a single.

The album peaked at number 2 in the UK Album Chart and number 10 in the Billboard album chart in the states.

Track Listing

Things Can Only Get Better
Life In One Day
Dream Into Action
No One Is To Blame
Look Mama
Assault And Battery
Automation
Is There A Difference?
Elegy
Specialty
Why Look For The Key
Hunger For The Flesh

So if you have the album in your collection and have n't played it in a while, dig it out and give it a spin!

Maximum 80s #126

Welcome to edition 126 of Maximum 80s here on White Lion Radio, a show that celebrates the 1980s 12 Inch Single!

This a series of shows that features some of the finest 12 Inch Singles from the 80s all in one continuous mix.

The biggest hits in the 12 Inch format from the greatest decade in music history!

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here
 

Playlist

Men Without Hats - Freeways (Euromix Version)
The Associates - Take Me Tt The Girl (12 Inch Mix)
Paul Young - Come Back And Stay (Extended Club Mix)
E.G. Daily - Say It Say It (Extended Version)
Kim Wilde - Four Letter Word (Late Night Mix)
David Bowie - Let's Dance (12 Inch Version)
Soul II Soul - Keep On Movin' (Club Mix)
Bananarama - Love In The First Degree (Love In The House Mix)
Boney M - Rivers Of Babylon (Original US 12 Inch Version)
Sinitta - So Macho (Extended Club Mix)
Simple Minds - Someone Somewhere In Summertime (Extended)
New Order - Shellshock (Substance Edit)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week # 27

Put The Needle On The Record Week #27 Tubeway Army - Replicas

For this weeks feature we go back to April 1979 and the Tubeway Army album "Replicas".

This album is the album that started off my love affair with synthesizers and electronic music, it is a groundbreaking album in so many ways but is definitely the album that started the wealth of synth bands that followed, the likes of OMD, The Human League, Visage, Midge Ure era Ultravox, Japan, Heaven 17, Depeche Mode and so many others.

I still remember very clearly watching Top Of The Pops in, I think it would have been May 1979, when Tubeway Army appeared with the track "Are Friends Electric?", they looked like something from an alien planet, the effect it had on me and i'm sure many others was incredible, the lightbulb moment for me regards electronic music because it truly opened my eyes to electronic music and Gary Numan brought electronic music to the mainstream, that's how important this album is to me and countless others.

"Are Friends Electric?" actually made steady progress up the singles chart, however, once it appeared on Top Of The Pops, it made Gary Numan a massive pop star and this impacted on sales of the album.

The album has a science fiction concept as its core, with songs about androids and machines and a dystopian world.

The interesting thing about this album is that it still had lots of guitar on it (The Machman and You Are In My Vision) and wasn't a complete electronic album, however, the synthesizers were the key ingredients on this long player. A nod of appreciation for Numan's lyrics on this album, they are outstanding and fit perfectly with the music and the overall concept.

It is probably one of my most played albums of all time.

Two singles were released off the album, "Down In The Park" (Which failed to chart) and of course, "Are Friends Electric?" (which reached number 1 and stayed there for 4 weeks), I also think "Me I Disconnect From You" should have been released as a single.

The album also reached number 1 in the UK Album Chart.

Track Listing

Me I Disconnect From You
Are 'Friends' Electric?
The Machman
Praying To The Aliens
Down In The Park
You Are In My Vision
Replicas
It Must Have Been Years
When The Machines Rock
I Nearly Married A Human

So if you have the album in your collection and have n't played it in a while, dig it out and give it a spin!

Rubik's 80s Mix #126 (August 1987)

Edition #126 of Rubik's 80s Mix is now out on White Lion Radio and as is a New Year we have introduced a new idea into the Rubik's 80s Mix shows, each month we are going to feature songs in the charts on a specific month from the 1980s, this month we feature songs that were in the charts in August 1987.

 This a series of shows that includes the very best in 80s music all in one continuous mix.

The biggest hits from the greatest decade in music history!

A show guaranteed to bring back so many happy memories!

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

New Order - True Faith
Def Leppard - Animal
Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar
Michael Jackson Ft Siedah Garrett - I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Kim Wilde - Say You Really Want Me
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains
Prince - U Got The Look
Pet Shop Boys Ft Dusty Springfield - What Have I Done To Deserve This
The Smiths - Girlfriend In A Coma
Five Star - Whenever You're Ready
Black - Wonderful Life
The Fat Boys & The Beach Boys - Wipeout
Danny Wilson - Mary's Prayer
Cliff Richard - Some People

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #26

Put The Needle On The Record Week #26 Pulp - Different Class

For this weeks feature we go back to October 1995 and the Pulp album "Different Class".

By the early to mid 1990's Britpop was the in thing in the UK, not something I usually enjoy listening to as a rule but the Pulp album "Different Class" was the exception to the rule, superbly crafted songs about  every day life and everyone can relate to the brilliant track "Common People", one of the greatest songs ever written in my opinion and I highly recommend you check out the Motiv8 remix which has given the track an electronic makeover, one of my all time favourite remixes.

"Different Class" was the 5th album released by Pulp, their best by a mile, the standard of song writing is exceptional.

The album featured 4 singles, "Common People" (which reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart, the video is fabulous!), the double A side "Mis-Shapes" & "Sorted For E's & Wizz" (which again reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart), "Disco 2000", another masterpiece, (which reached number 7 in the UK Singles chart) and "Something Changed" (which reached number 1 in the UK Singles chart - I never realized it was a number 1 hit single!).

They could easily have also released the tracks "Underwear" and "Pencil Skirt" as singles, superb songs, it is an album that stands tall above any other "Britpop" release during this period.

The album peaked at number 1 in the UK Album Chart and rightly so!

Track Listing

Mis-Shapes
Pencil Skirt
Common People
I Spy
Disco 2000
Live Bed Show
Something Changed
Sorted For E's & Wizz
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E
Underwear
Monday Morning
Bar Italia

So if you have the album in your collection and have n't played it in a while, dig it out and give it a spin!

i-Select #107 (Part 2)

Part 2 of edition #107 of i-Select has been released today on White Lion Radio

 

This is a series of shows dedicated to electronic/synthpop bands, that are unsigned, signed to a small independent label or self release their material.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

Metroland - Infotainment
LonelyKlown - every beat (Ooo Eee Ooo)
Exposed Brick - The Men Who Stare At Cranes
After The Rain - Somewhere Only With You
Cubic - BCL (Basic Edit)
Lake Omne - Fire
Francesca e Luigi - Just A Kiss Just A Bite
Melo - Mysteria
Proletarian Poetry - Hypocrisy
GW Childs IV - Yellow
Bending Grid Ft Violet Fears - Lost In Space
elect - Sinking (W Trebor Pertepop Acid Drop Remix)
After The Rain - Vicious Mind
Exposed Brick - Stream
Cubic - Pleasure Machine
s475e - Unknown World
Rogue FX - We Leave With Nothing
Synthception - Superfun
Lunar Plexus - Nobody Does It Like You
Melo - Glitter
Mayah Camara & Sellorekt LA DREAMS - Suspicion
Metroland - Improving The State Of The World
elect - Mirros (MoX Remix)
This Bliss - One Day (Debris Discs Remix)
Bending Grid Ft Gulsah Brett - Cybercity Red Lights
Mathilda Monique Ft Steve Whitfield - Here I Am
After The Rain - Running To The Sun
Cubic - Computer Alphabet
Pyramid Of Chaos - We Fight To Win (For The Future)
Exposed Brick - It's Getting Late
Nova - Eating From The Palm Of Your Hands
Proletarian Poetry - War Of Lies (Retrospect)
Church Of Trees - Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #25

Put The Needle On The Record Week #25 Joy Division - Closer

For this weeks feature we go back to July 1980 and the Joy Division album "Closer".

"Closer" was only the 2nd album released by Joy Division and yet over the decades it is an album that still inspires musicians, the album was released a couple of month's after lead singer Ian Curtis took his own life, at the time nobody, not even the band realized that "Closer" was a collection of songs about his struggles in life and in someways a music suicide note. It is in my top 3 albums of all time, everytime I listen to the album you can feel the torture that Ian Curtis is going through, it has had a massive impact on me from a music perspective and in my life. It is a stunning collection of songs.

In 1980 I got the chance to speak to Anthony H Wilson around the time the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart", was released and his passion for the music of Joy Division was very evident, he was more than happy to speak to me about Joy Division, something that I really respected, lovely man too.

On a side note, if you haven't seen the film "Control" about the life of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, go and get the DVD, it is a remarkable film and Sam Riley who plays Ian Curtis, is unbelievable, it is a very moving film and one of my all time favourite films, with "Love Will Tear Us Apart" being my all time favourite single and "Closer" in my all time Top 3 albums, you can understand my passion for Joy Division.

The whole album is a highlight, but if I had to pick my 3 favourite tracks off the album, I would go for "Decades" (a haunting yet beautiful song, Ian's lyrics definitely has an impact on you emotionally), "Isolation" (again lyrically stunning) and "The Eternal" (the mood of the track really hits you!).

No singles were released off the album and they didn't include "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on the album either.

The album peaked at number 6 in the UK Album Chart.

Track Listing

Atrocity Exhibition
Isolation
Passover
Colony
A Means To An End
Heart And Soul
Twenty Four Hours
The Eternal
Decades

So if you have the album in your collection and have n't played it in a while, dig it out and give it a spin!